Postdoctoral Associate/Research Scientist - Seafood Chemistry, Quality, and Value-Added Processing

About the role

The Feng Research Group at Virginia Tech invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate or Research Scientist to lead laboratory research on the chemistry, quality, safety, and value‑added utilization of seafood. The position is based at the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Hampton, VA, and supports federally and industry‑funded projects on Chesapeake Bay wild‑caught blue catfish, commercial clams, and other domestic seafood species. The selected candidate will work closely with seafood processors, extension specialists, and a multi‑institutional research team, generating nutritional, flavor, mineral, and contaminant data that support evidence‑based marketing, product development, and Extension programming for Virginia’s seafood industry, advancing the land‑grant research and Extension mission of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech.

Responsibilities

• Conduct nutritional composition analyses of seafood using AOAC official methods, including proximate composition, fatty acid profiles (with emphasis on omega‑3 fatty acids), amino acids, and minerals.
• Characterize seafood flavor chemistry, including volatile aroma compounds and off‑flavor compounds (e.g., geosmin, 2‑methylisoborneol) by GC‑MS and related techniques, and non‑volatile taste compounds.
• Quantify essential minerals and contaminants of concern (e.g., iodine, selenium, zinc, mercury, lead, arsenic) using ICP‑OES/ICP‑MS with appropriate QA/QC procedures.
• Evaluate texture, shelf life, and lipid oxidation, and support consumer sensory studies.
• Contribute to the recovery and characterization of value‑added ingredients from fish processing byproducts (e.g., fish oil, collagen, protein hydrolysates).
• Coordinate large‑scale sample collection and data management across sizes, seasons, and locations with industry partners.
• Analyze data, prepare peer‑reviewed manuscripts, project reports, and Virginia Cooperative Extension publications.
• Support Extension and outreach activities, including industry training, chef workshops, and stakeholder meetings.
• Train and assist in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in the laboratory.
• Independently lead defined research components and manage day‑to‑day laboratory operations and instrument method development (Research Scientist rank).
• Supervise and